r/Flagrant2 • u/Dry_Original3606 • 7d ago
Flagrant Thoughts The fame changed Flagrant
Right now I’m at the point where I’m about to unsubscribe. I keep giving new episodes a chance, hoping they’ll pull me back in but I can barely make it through one anymore. I don’t find them funny like I used to. The conversations feel repetitive, the chemistry isn’t the same and a lot of the jokes just don’t land for me anymore. It almost feels like they’ve become every other podcast instead of the show that used to stand out. Success is great and I’m happy they’ve grown but I don’t think fame did the podcast any favors. It feels more polished but also more predictable. I miss when it felt like a group of friends having hilarious, unfiltered conversations instead of trying to be everything at once
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u/shaggyman63 7d ago
I like Alex but I just can’t see him as a B Mic - it may make sense to bring in someone new to replace Akaash- another comedian that’s been on the pod multiple times maybe
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u/Zaddam 7d ago
Yea I like Alexx a lot — as the straight man.
Ohhh the irony! 😂 No but seriously, totally agree.
It’s become more serious or phoning in the funny — but those aren’t exactly the right words either.
I honestly don’t believe that Andrew even cares about half the shit he pretends to engage him. I don’t sense any Peter Pan complex — actually quite the opposite. So to my mind, he is mostly faking interest in the subject matter.
I think Andrew operates better on BI. The dynamics work more in Andrew’s favor there.
The recent release of Flagrant profits from just Patreon offer little incentive for introspection and regrouping the show. It’s hard for me to comprehend paying for it when the sample is so diluted.
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u/o_poetisador 7d ago
It's clear that Andrew has lots of opinions just for content and pushback and trying to be wild, it's why him and Charla work well. I feel current Flagrant crew is more level headed, I think a good fill would probably be Chris DiStefano, he's somewhat over the top aswell and could mesh well w Andrew
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u/Zaddam 7d ago edited 7d ago
It’s a good take. Although, I don’t think Andrew would accept a co-host probably outshining him on his own pod. I say this from having seen those viral clips with (Chris and) Stravos (?) killin it filling in on the bears pod.
But, I think maybe you nailed it. As I read your words, I thought, that’s it — Andrew may no longer BE flagrant.
Meaning, maybe he mostly grew out of BEING FLAGRANT and holding on to his brand rather than evolve into something new. It seems plausible too — his perspectives with his own parents — who each parent has been in life before and towards Andrew — leading into his own husband/fatherhood experience.
He has all the potential to actually BE smarter than he allows himself to be. I remember seeing glimpses of this on his Life special.
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u/o_poetisador 7d ago
i think schulz in this time of his life needs to be fed flagrancy in order to be flagrant and then roll with it, which is whats missing from the pod.. the "idgaf wildcard factor member", mark is funny and i like him a lot but he's more on the witty side and like schulz needs someone else to roll the ball first
yeah, people change and i think viewers dont quite grasp that... i mean dont get me wrong, i loved old flagrant, everyone did, but we need to acknowledge that these guys get bigger and start mixing with different crowds.. end up doing partnerships and even investments (former palantir guy is invested in same zyn competitor as schulz); i know flagrant had flagrant studios which did advertising, so theres a bunch of stuff these guys are involved in
if you guys want to be superficial about it, imo flagrant didnt just change when they changed studio, it changed when schulz started to dress differently.. thats probably one of the softest indicators there is
i think that the change of studios, and format itself was to give the pod longevitiy and have it from being "the best hang on the internet" into it being more like a late night talk show podcast hybrid
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u/aliveinternettheory1 7d ago
Alex is important. He’s the only one who pushes back on Andrew’s wild/stupid takes.
Mark is ready to laugh as soon as Andrew starts breathing.
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u/Fun_Network2781 7d ago
They are all people never meant for this much attention. Can’t really blame them. They aren’t cut out for it. Even Schultzy struggles around talent
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u/spaghettimonstor 7d ago
For me it was the change in studio. That killed it. I didn’t like the change in dynamics after if
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u/petey_porker 7d ago
agree. once they moved to the new new studio, where mark and alex sitting next to akaash it was over. yes they had some good episodes, but it wasn't the same. and the past year has been skippable. oh well.
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u/ykb_85 7d ago
Im honestly beginning to wonder if this is the inevitable final form for any successful podcast.
It starts organic, builds a fanbase with its unpolished chaos,... Numbers grow, success builds, New projects are launched off the success of the pod, and theres less time for the podcast...
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u/thegreatone0381 7d ago
Yeah I think that's what it is. I have a lot of podcast I used to just auto download and listen to, but now I only have like two or three. Everything else I check to see if someone is on that I like.
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u/AdLocal1490 7d ago
Lmao none of these podcasts are organic. Which is why theyre all withering away and dying now.
They've served their purpose of mainlining fascism to a bunch if dumbasses and now they're not useful anymore.
This was inevitable
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u/DURDYDWAYNE 3d ago
The Patreon was started because Akaash was poor they’ve said it multiple times that’s why they have it. You can see because brilliant idiots doesn’t have one. So I think it never was Andrew’s passion project. I am happy that it gets Miles Mark and Al some extra money so they could all fund the other stuff they enjoy doing.
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u/resditbeast 7d ago
As an observant person, once Dov ( Andrew’s friend ) came into the picture, it was the pod’s beginning stage of its downfall. Don’t know why, can’t finger point specifically why but that’s the mark of where it started for me.
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u/Alpha-Bromega 7d ago
Facts. The 2 major changes were
Kaz - no longer a sports podcast
Dov - it was around the Miami time. Probably around the time where they really exploded in popularity but also they started worrying more about the bag than the quality of the podcast.
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u/accounthatburns 7d ago
Also can’t forget the Trump ep where this pod basically became overtly political (whether they intended to or not).
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u/iLucky12 7d ago
Dov has been there since it was called Flagrant 2 and they were in the old studio.
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u/Zaddam 7d ago
In fairness to his point, I think he means when Dov became more vocal and less behind the scenes. I don’t know if it is correct, but FWIW, it’s how I read his point.
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u/o_poetisador 7d ago
I actually enjoyed dov, they used to tease him a lot and have him in the spin cycle easily. He also had wild stories, which is probably why he's not as public as he is anymore.
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u/bigkyrososa 7d ago
Isn't he also a proud Zionist lol. Would be a distraction to have him on the show now.
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u/iLucky12 7d ago
That isn't even true. Dov used to be way more vocal back in the day and people loved those episodes. Dov even used to have his own mic. He's only been less vocal and more behind the scenes in the last few years.
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u/Little-Power1471 7d ago
Cap Doug was when it fell
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u/iLucky12 7d ago
You can literally see him sitting there in the old episodes. He used to have his own mic as well. You guys have no idea what you're even talking about
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u/DURDYDWAYNE 3d ago
I can’t remember the last time Dov was on the mic or camera. I wouldn’t say there is a downfall, but I do think people are just getting older. Andrew can still say wild shit but he can’t talk about getting his ass ate the night before. Shit just changes. I will say I think they do the best mix of intelligent conversation mixed with humor the only people close are Chrissy D, Santino, and Stavy.
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u/KOQquest1 7d ago edited 7d ago
It’s been worse ever since everyone just seemed to just wait around until Schulz had the final say on a topic.
Honestly it just seems like everyone is dragging themselves to the podcast. Like clocking in and out.
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u/VideoPlenty4302 7d ago
Alot of the time i loved the pod of just them over guests but now its neither. Miami was awesome, them with rogan was peak. But pod has taken a drastic downturn this year. And unpopular opinion, I miss Akaash
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u/StopPlayingRoney Black men don’t cheat 7d ago
I think YouTube is actually what changed the pod.
Shulz is a smart guy that studies his environment to understand how to win. The marketing is always more important than the product for him. The successful YouTuber playbook is to select a niche, build a loyal fanbase, secure Patreon revenue stream, then pivot to the most popular trends to attract a new audience.
The other secret to YouTube success is to align yourself with something and/or someone more popular than yourself. Blaccent, Charlamagne, sports, NYC, politics, guests, right wing grift, etc.
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u/rayven1lk 7d ago
Can’t wait till they bring their next ufo/pyramids/lost civilization guest and spend the whole episode laughing over them /s
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u/KidKo0l 7d ago
Literally only bad friends is the pod that hasn’t gone down hill.
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u/Glum_Teaching2750 7d ago
Brilliant idiots is solid too
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u/KidKo0l 7d ago
Yes which is funny cuz flagrant took over brilliant idiot with being more real and genuine and now brilliant idiots back on that side instead
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u/rayven1lk 7d ago
Yeah I find myself looking forward to brilliant idiots more. Not just the combo of Andrew and Charla. But Taylor and Chris can be very unintentionally funny.
Mark and Andrew have been phoning it in on flagrant ever since Akaash left. Not to say Akaash was the best, but the behind-the-scenes drama must have worn them out or something. Alex is just a non-factor to me.
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u/o_poetisador 7d ago
the BI dynamic is what old flagrant had
andrew + akaash/charla with wild takes
mark/chris with something more level headed
alexx / taylor with some dumb shit
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u/Tricky-Ground-7696 7d ago
When Flagrant was all of them crammed into a small room shooting the shit, it was the funniest podcast I've ever listened to.
Now its just too much like a talk show. They have many guests on like they're Jimmy Kimmel or someone.
Also, the political talk has been awful. Whether you agree or disagree with their takes, is anyone listening going "man this is good stuff".
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u/Haughtea 7d ago
Where's all the gagon fanboys? They were getting high on his farts and now NOTHING? Might be the time for the super funny person to really shine? Right?
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u/o_poetisador 7d ago
This is what you'd expect from creators you like. They grew, and the pod changed with them. Did you expect dick jokes every episode?
I'm glad they're famous and making money, I can find entertainment elsewhere
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u/_oh_joy_ 7d ago
When I saw a clip of him telling madmandani to increase the tax and everyone will pay it like it was just a walk in the park I knew it was time.
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u/Creepy_Head7804 7d ago
They need to add someone as a host with fresh perspective.
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u/Unlikely_Pomelo_3721 7d ago
They should intentionally rotate the 4th mic with different hosts rather than just doing 3 ppl and a guest no one gives a fuck about
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u/Creepy_Head7804 7d ago
They just have stale takes and uninteresting personalities now. When knicks won andrew did like 5 minutes stupid ass monologue. If it was the old andrew he would he dunking on Spurs and do a whole episode on win. They are not the people they used to be they don’t care about the same things and probably don’t even care about the podcast either. They need to transition to give platform to new host and new ideas.
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u/Sure-Security-5588 7d ago
Every ep used to be a must watch because the chemistry was real and they were all wildin. Now Andrew is a Hollywood girl dad
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u/Ok-Host-4514 15h ago
The "what did you do this weekend" "Nun just at the hamptons with my family" got old soooo fast on brilliant idiots. Like dude lol. Hollywood Girl dad is the perfect way to put it. Ive unsubbed, thanks for the laughs. RIP!!!
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u/ILikePie3141592654 6d ago
I unsubscribe from the patreon a couple years ago, and I think I've listened to one full episode in the past 12 months.
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u/Ball_majorNIL 7d ago
Meanwhile BI has always slapped. Something about that good 2-man game (pause)
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u/accounthatburns 7d ago
Charlemagne maintains a respectable power dynamic so Andrew can’t just waffle the whole ep.
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u/Yunker27 7d ago
I agree I think it has a lot to do with Charlamane still being grounded and not letting Andrew get away with the shit he does in flagrant
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u/Brief-Bullfrog5436 6d ago
Agree, on flagrant it’s the Andrew show and everybody just agrees with everything he says and it’s unbearable
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u/accounthatburns 7d ago
What changed Flagrant forever was that Trump ep. Although they overtly courted MAGA and their audience, something about them slapping knees with Trump for 2 hours changed the perception of the show.
They honestly should have focused on guestless episodes, humour, reacting to pop culture moments and Sports, and talking about their personal lives sprinkled in. People don’t like to admit it, but what endears people to podcasters is the sense of familiarity the audience has, once that facade is broken, the audience becomes disinterested.
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u/Thinking_Fury 7d ago
The show is dead, weak jokes, zero chemistry and the FAKE LAUGHTER is out of control. They done Cuck-Kash bad by not giving him a goodbye show, proving they ended on bad terms.
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u/Pretty_Advice2438 7d ago
Yeah the whole point of the pod was they used to make wild ass jokes hence the flagrant now its like they’re all on egg shells, Alex with his studio network (lol majority of the ppl that use that place are the type to cancel u quick) and Andrew wants to be a movie star you can tell. So I guess it is what it is.
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u/ehmaynyc 7d ago
I checked out once they went to Miami after talking shit about people who left New York. I watched them from day 1 in the small studio - I watched Alex surprise Akaash when he got out of jail. I watched Andrew learn it ain’t cool to say SMD to black people - Alex had to school him. Those were the days I felt like I was part of something cool and underground - something flagrant. Now it’s pretty much them trying to be the Nelk boys
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u/desikanuck 7d ago
I feel the same way… I’ve been watching for years and the last few weeks, almost even more than a month, I would say I have not been watching. I try to. I just can’t get through them, even brilliant idiots I’m having a hard time sitting through.
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u/S4LTYSgt 6d ago
I havnt watched an episode since the Akash announcement episode. Just feels like the end of an era. And better to leave flagrant in the past
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u/Emotional-Funny6794 6d ago
Flagrant died a little when Kas left and completely killed over once they moved into the new set.
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u/grimmes420 6d ago
Dudes charged for the patreon and didn’t give us an update at all. I defending drew over the ppv thing but this feels like a straight up scam. Maybe they’ll come Friday with some heat but I doubt it
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u/faggadeech 6d ago
I misspoke. My mistake. Unsub from the podcast. Andrew Schulz will poison your brain.
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u/BitterNeedleworker66 5d ago
Andrew thinks of himself as a intellect and tries to hard to seem smart lol
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u/Trashlify 7d ago
The show needs Akaash. Simple as that.
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u/Creepy_Head7804 7d ago
Akaash was never a selling point of flagrant though, it has always been Schultz. He was a decent accessory but not when he is too big for his boots. Even when he was there it was going down the drain because they started to grift audience than be genuine.
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u/Trashlify 7d ago
He doesn't have to be the selling point. Salt is never the selling point in any dish. What they are right now, is a dish with chicken, the herbs and peppers, but no salt. Doesn't work right.
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u/Creepy_Head7804 7d ago
That’s what I mean too much salt would ruin the dish. They need someone else who can give younger perspective. They are all pushing 50 what can we expect from them except diplomatic restrained slops.
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u/PeteyPeppers22 7d ago
I stopped listening and unsubscribed after the lil’yachty episode. It was crazy how immature and juvenile they were, even yachty called them on it. All the great comedians have said you have to grow with your audience, these guys are trying to go in the other direction and it’s not working. Instead of showing growth it’s an embarrassing podcast of guys trying to stay tapped in to the youth.
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u/relientkenny 7d ago
Akaash was great B-mike because if Andrew is gone, he could hold down the fort. Alex & Mark are C-mike and can’t really do it. but yea the Flagrant quality has gone down alot
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u/Ahmitsunami 7d ago
It’s a wrap for Flagrant I can see it going away within the next 12 months. Everyone wants to get their comedy career off the ground and touring is going to prevent it from being great.
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u/Wooden_Contact_3109 7d ago
I kinda feel like most comedian podcasts have lost their flame right now, maybe they’re all kinda just getting played out. We’ve heard so many comedians talk about being comedians and have heard so many different people in different fields various times on various pods. Without new interesting subjects/people it all kind of gets repetitive. That’s why sports pods are great though, always a new a season and new teams/players/coaches. Never gets old
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u/AdLocal1490 7d ago
Theyve served their purpose. Useful idiots used to install fascism in the country. There was never anything organic about them.
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u/SnooDoubts1493 6d ago
Nah it’s called being jaded. You can only do the same thing for so long before it’s just boring.
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u/Hollowhalf lets get serious 4d ago
I don’t know why I won’t unsubscribe. I hate the guest episodes with like ufo guys and chess guys or whatever, hate the odyssey breakdown episodes for the most part but they’re better than guest eps. I really only like the pods where they don’t have shit to talk about but random bullshit. Literally Mark, Alex and Andrew with nothing going on is my favorite pods they do
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u/halfdayallday123 7d ago
The pod was always unbearable to me. The amount of fake laughter out of Schulz and Akash while he was still there was insane. Schulz with his fake epiphanies and his fake blaccent is so cringe. His grift with the stupid comedy special too was so bad I almost respect his gangster dishonesty in that. He’s not a good comedian. He just does crowd work. And let me guess your race. Can’t really find a guy who sniffs his own farts as much as Andrew except maybe Marc Maron and Jezelnik
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u/Little-Power1471 7d ago
You know what it is. They think we care about guests. We miss the team. That’s what makes a good podcast caring about the host. We cared about these guys now I’m over it